The legendary Brooklyn based group, Heltah Skeltah recently devoted an entire day to speak to the media regarding their upcoming reunion album “Da Incredible Rap Team” which will be available on September 30th. Raptalk.net was granted the opportunity to bring our readers every little detail you’d want to know regarding the upcoming project.

We also discuss how it felt to begin working together once again, the group’s chemistry, their thoughts on Duck Down Records and much more!

Q: We’re here with Heltah Skeltah; how are the two of you doing?

Sean Price: I’m great.

Rock: I’m chilling. Got a little case, but rock filthy and not guilty.

Q: (Laughs) Start us off by letting the fans know why they should go pick up “Da Incredible Rap Team” on September 30th?

Rock: ‘Cause the rap team is fuckin’ incredible.

Sean Price: Yeah

Rock: It’s a dope fuckin’ album, you know what I mean?

Q: Let the fans know what the motivation behind the title is.

Sean Price: D.I.R.T., “Da Incredible Rap Team” you know what I mean? That’s what D.I.R.T. stands for and on the other, we get down and dirty if we have to. It’s self-explanatory. If you listen to our music, you know D.I.R.T. makes sense.

Q: Who did the two of you work with in terms of guest appearances?

Sean Price: I don’t really consider family guests. We got Buck Shot on there, Smif ‘N’ Wessun is on there, Rustee Juxx and we got The Representatives.
Rock: And that’s it.

Q: And which producers did their thing on the boards?

Sean Price: All of them from Evidence to Crisis, my man from the Triad, Double Up, Stu Banger, SIC Beats; they all went in.

Rock: The “Ill Mind” beat is fire, we definitely got our numbers.

Q: Sounds like y’all picked the producers very carefully; tell us about that.

Sean Price: Nah, the producers picked their beats very carefully, you understand what I’m saying? It don’t matter who the producer is, if the beat get in, it gets in. I don’t give a fuck if you Dr. Dre homie and I say that with the highest regard. You could be Doc Dre or Timbaland, if the beat ain’t bangin’ it just ain’t bangin’.

Q: So all producers came with some dope stuff?

Sean Price: We picked the ones we liked. The ones we didn’t pick, it’s not they were corny, we just didn’t want them.

Q: Something has to get cut.

Rock: Exactly.

Q: How was it to work together after so many years? Was the chemistry still in tact?

Sean Price: I mean we been working together anyway. If you listen to “Jesus Christ”, “Monkey Bars” and the Boot Camp albums.

Rock: If you listen to “Shell Shock.”

Sean Price: We’ve always been working together.

Rock: Yeah.

Q: Why such a long hiatus between albums?

Rock: It was just life. Niggas was grinding. Ten years ago, Duck Down was on Priority and that ended. We were all forced into situations where we had to go for what we know. I went to Cali and got a deal; Price stayed home and put it down over there. The deal I had didn’t work out and the shit at home began to pop, let’s do it. If I would have got on first, we’d be having this conversation during lunch on Interscope’s dollar.

Q: Well if you ever get signed to Interscope, I’m holding you to that (laughs).

Both: (laughs)

Rock: ofcourse

Q: I’m playing homie.

Rock: You ain’t gotta’ play. The bottom line is whatever pops first is what happens. It wasn’t so much a breakup as it was a split up. We had to find our way, you go your way and I go mine.

Q: Thanks for clearing that up.

Rock: No problem.

Q: How long can the fans count on Heltah Skeltah being around and providing us with good music?

Rock: As long mutha fucka’s love it.

Sean Price: Hell yeah.

Rock: As long as I can still bust a rap and everybody go “this nigga’s crazy.” When I start bustin’ raps and don’t anybody raise their eyebrow, it may be time to stop.

Q: What are your thoughts on the longevity of Duck Down Records?

Sean Price: Duck Down is what it is right now. We are one of the best independents.

Rock: We are D.I.R.T. and Duck Down is D.I.R.L. – Da Incredible Rap Label.

Sean Price: They always had Buck Shot and more. Now we got Rustee Juxx, DJ Revolution, Special Teams.

Rock: Kids In The Hall.

Sean Price: We got KRS-One. The catalog is just getting better and better. Duck Down is the place to be.

Rock: Getting stronger.

Q: And how do you think that Duck Down has been as successful as an independent?

Sean Price: Quality music, basically with quality music. Whatever is going on is cool. People know Duck Down drops dope shit; we’ve dropped the ball once or twice, but usually it’s good music.

Rock: That’s always going to sell; I don’t care what anyone says.

Q: Can the fans ever expect to see a Fab 5 album with OGC?

Both: No.

Q: Is their a reason behind that?

Rock: We ain’t with that shit.

Sean Price: We ain’t with it; it’s not something we want to do.

Rock: Let me tell you something. This is something I should tell all rappers. Stop letting the fans control you. I know where here to please them, but don’t let them have you doing shit that ain’t you; niggas get in trouble like that.

Q: Was there a problem with OGC?

Both: Nah, that’s our niggas.

Rock: We love them to death; I spoke Starang yesterday, that’s our niggas. I still punch in anybody in they face for them niggas, Top Dog is the same. We just ain’t with that shit. We don’t want to do no fuckin’ Fab 5 album; I don’t give a fuck with the fans want. There aren’t enough of y’all niggas saying they want it. A significant amount of niggas buy the shit we putting out now, and then will see about that.

Q: A few years ago, the two of you hooked up with Canadian rapper Saukrates for a joint called “Ultimate Rush.” Tell us how that came about.

Sean Price: My man Mike Caren.

Rock: Mike Caren.

Sean Price: Mike Caren, he works at Atlantic Records now, shouts out to big dog.

Rock: What up Mike?

Sean Price: At the time, we was messing with Mike Caren, he was like a mail man out there.

Rock: Yeah.

Sean Price: He was an up and coming producer to, besides him working at Atlantic. He gave us some beats and he was really cool with Saukrates. We made something happen. I still owe Saukrates for that, I kind of felt like he killed me on the record so I need revenge and we have to do another record.

Q: I’m sure many people would love to see that.

Sean Price: Yeah, we have to do another record – he killed me on that last one.

Rock: You only had eight bars nigga (laughs) and he had two verses
Sean Price: So what, he still bodied me and I need revenge – that’s all.

Rock: (laughs).

Q: (laughs) Have you had any recent contact with Saukrates?

Sean Price: Not at all, I wish I could get in contact with him – that’s the homie.

Q: The next question is for you Sean Price. How is the “Random Axes” album with Black Milk and Guilty Simpson coming along?

Sean Price: Yeah, we have to throw Rock on there. It’s sounding good though. So far it’s just I, Black (Milk) and Guilty (Simpson). I think Black (Milk) man Fat Rev is on a joint. I am going to put my boys on it. It’s sounding good though. Black is a beast with the rhymes as well, stop sleeping on Black – word to mother.

Sean Price: I’m going to drop that first and then hit you with “Mic Tyson.” I haven’t even started working on “Mic Tyson” yet. I’m working on the mixtape and “Random Axes.”

Q: and what about you Rock, do you have a solo in the works?

Rock: Yeah, it’s called “Monster Music.” I like self-explanatory titles. That’s a beautiful monstrosity. I’m also working on “Shell Shock” the DVD right now for everybody who got shell shock. There are videos for all of that shit on “Shell Shock” and a bunch of behind the scenes footage to keep mutha fucka’s guessing, watching and talking. And after that, we got the “Monster Music.” I’m also working on a mixtape called “The Monster Mash” with all Swizz Beatz beats. That’s a monster concept right there.

Q: What’s coming first, the DVD or the album?

Rock: The DVD is coming first. But ofcourse, “D.I.R.T.” will be out first and then “Shell Shock” the DVD. That should be dropping when it’s done realistically. There are a lot of videos and that can be a slow process at times. Will get it done though.

Q: Do the two of you have any last words for the fans before I let you go?

Sean Price: I just want to say get the album, its dope. September 30th, “Da Incredible Rap Team” and that’s what we are.

Rock: I know I’m filthy, but hoe I’m not guilty; Rock filthy but not guilty.